Ledlenser is a German brand, originally founded in 1994 by twin brothers Rainer and Harald Opolka. They started the company in their garage, with 1,000 Deutschmarks in seed money, plus a sketch book, a toolbox and an old Atari computer. Their first torch was the Ledlenser V8, which went on to become one of the first and best-selling LED torches in the world. They ended up selling more than 200 million Euros' worth of LED torches in the first five years of operation.
The brand has continued to go from strength to strength over the past 25 years. Today, Ledlenser owns more than a hundred patents and has won multiple design awards. It employs more than 1,500 people, with an HQ in the city of Solingen, some 25km or so east of Düsseldorf, plus three manufacturing bases. It has established a great reputation for its head torches, which are used in work, police and military environments as well as by a host of outdoor users, from hunters and anglers to runners, campers, kayakers, hikers and more.
Pros
- Bright and powerful
- Hands-free adaptive tech
- Focusing beam
Cons
- Bulky
- Relatively heavy
- Not the most intuitive to operate
| Max power: | 1600lm (boost), 900lm (high) |
| Max burn time: | 90 hours at 20 lumens |
| Max beam distance: | 210m |
| Battery: | Rechargeable integrated 2000mAh lithium-ion battery (magnetic charge system) |
| Weight: | 194g |
| Ingress protection rating: | IP68 |
The HF8R Core is a new addition to the range and is one of the brand’s flagship product lines. It showcases several innovative technologies, including adaptive beam lighting, advanced digital focusing and Bluetooth connectivity. Sounds impressive, especially for a fairly simple hiking essential. But what does all that mean – and actually do – in the field? We took it into the hills and mountains of Snowdonia to find out.
Design and features
The Ledlenser HF8R Core is a chunky headtorch fitted with a robust three-point strap. The top strap is removable, but trust us, you need it, since at nearly 200g, this is a heavy headlamp, and all the weight is at the front. Luckily, the overhead strap prevents too much bounce or lateral movement, while a split rear strap aids overall balance and stability. A comfort pad can also be fitted to the rear of the tilting light bracket to reduce pressure against the forehead.
There’s a good reason for the HF8R’s heft – it’s packed with innovative technology. The star of the (light) show is undoubtedly the brand’s patented Adaptive Light Beam functionality. Sophisticated sensors measure light, temperature and output at a rate of 400 times a second to adapt the beam pattern to different conditions. A combination of white LEDs can then make swift transitions between various light modes, from flood to midrange to spot.
In addition to the adaptive mode, the lamp also boasts low (20 lumens), medium (300 lumens) and high-power settings (900 lumens), plus a red-light function and a 10-second boost function (which can put out an impressive 1600 lumens). A single large, rubberised button on top controls all the lighting modes.
There’s more. On the underside of the unit is a rotating metal focusing wheel, which can be used with any of the standard white light modes to alter the beam from flood to spot (and anywhere in between). This is a progression from Ledlenser’s older focusing bezel, found on the brand’s MH series of headlamps, which physically rotated to switch from an all-round flood beam to a pinpoint spotlight (Alpkit’s Qark headtorch uses the same principle). The HF8R’s version employs more sophisticated digital tech to achieve the same result, with in-built haptic vibration that buzzes to signal when the wheel has reached its maximum setting. It also buzzes when you switch the headtorch off. Some might like this, others will likely find it irritating and unnecessary.
The HF8R also has Bluetooth connectivity. Download the free Ledlenser Connect app to your smartphone and you can control the headtorch remotely (though to access all the functions you need to purchase an upgrade, priced at £8.49). It has an effective range of about 10 metres. It’s cool, but is it useful? We’re not sure, since we’re struggling to think of a valid use case for being able to turn a headtorch on remotely. Maybe for outdoor photography purposes, if you want to light a scene (or create a cool tent glow) for Instagram, but that’s about it.
More practical features of the HF8R Core include a 4-LED battery life indicator on the underside of the lamp unit, and a button lock to guard against accidental operation (press and hold for 5 seconds).
The lamp is powered by an integrated 2000mAh Li-ion battery, which charges via a magnetic port. The supplied USB-C cable snaps on to these magnetic terminals. On the one hand, it’s a great feature for minimum fuss in the field, with no fiddly USB port to get bunged up with dirt or damaged by moisture. On the other hand, it means you need to use Ledlenser’s special cable to charge it. In terms of charging speeds, it takes 2.5 hours to go from totally dead to 80% charged.
Performance and comfort
When you turn the lamp on, its multiple light sources calibrate to the conditions, twinkling like an alien spaceship signal. This is the adaptive tech at work – you’ll see the beam fluctuate slightly before it settles on an optimum output setting based on what the sensors detect in front of the wearer.
It works very well. As you move and turn your head towards near or far objects, the headlamp adjusts to provide just the right amount of light. Look down at a map, and it will dim to proximity setting. Lift your head and look to a distant hillside, and the beam shoots out into the dark like a searchlight. All this means that in adaptive mode, the HF8R Core is pretty much hands-free – you rarely need to touch it, which is both practical and convenient.
We tested the HF8R Core in Snowdonia’s hills and mountains, which included a few hours spent underground, exploring the old slate caverns and mine shafts of the Moelwynion range. It performed admirably and is a headlamp that we’d be happy to take on all sorts of adventures despite its relative heft and bulk. It is rated IP68 too, which makes it fully submersible, so you could even take it caving or canyoning.
Of course, no technology is perfect, and very occasionally the Ledlenser HF8R does get confused. It generally fixes itself quickly, but at other times its decision-making may not match your user preference when it comes to illumination. Obviously, in this case you can use the button to cycle through to a specific light mode – but it isn’t the most intuitive and relies on you pressing the button at the right interval. In short, read the instruction sheet that comes with the product. Even then it takes a little getting used to. Once you’ve mastered how it all works, however, you have plenty of illumination at your fingertips.
Burn times are good too. You’ll get 3.5 hours at 600 lumens, or up to 90 hours on the lowest 20-lumen setting. The 1300-lumen boost mode is extremely bright, and throws a beam up to 210 metres.
As you can probably imagine, the H8R is not well suited to fast-paced activity, since although it is very secure, it isn’t the lightest or most compact unit. It also lacks any rear red safety light for trail or road running. However, for technical hiking, hillwalking, wild camping and backpacking, as well as general outdoor use, this is one of the best headlamps we’ve tested.
Price and competition
This is a premium headlamp with a UK RRP of £119.95, which made it the most expensive product in our 2024 headlamps group test. But for the money you do get one of the most advanced lamps on the market in terms of functionality.
We particularly like the adaptive beam technology, which is both practical and effective. Admittedly this function isn’t unique to Ledlenser – Petzl’s ‘RL’ (Reactive Lighting) range of headlamps work on similar principles, for example – but the HF8R’s system works as well as any Petzl RL product we’ve tested. Having said that, Petzl’s Swift RL headtorch, which was a Trail magazine ‘Gear of the Year’ pick earlier this year, is smaller, lighter and cheaper, and has slightly better burn times. On the flipside, it’s not as bright and has a much lower waterproof rating.
If you don’t need smart tech but just want pure power, then the Nitecore HC65 UHE (£93.95) is another option to look at. It beats the HF8R in the brightness stakes, putting out 2000 lumens as opposed to the Ledlenser’s 1600 lumens in boost mode or 900 in high power mode. It also has a higher capacity battery, which translates to superior burn times, while being just as robust and just as waterproof. It’s also about 50 grams lighter.
Of course, for a lot of hillwalkers, all of these headtorches will be overkill. In truth, there’s really no need to spend this much money on maximum lumens. You can save plenty of cash and still get a perfectly decent all-season headtorch by opting for a lighter, cheaper, less powerful model like the excellent BioLite HeadLamp 425, the reliable Petzl Tikka CORE or even the great value Alpkit Qark.
Verdict
With its adaptive light beam, digital focusing system and Bluetooth connectivity, this is a high-performance headlamp for gadget-loving hikers – but all that tech adds weight, bulk and cost.
About the author
Matt Jones is a freelance journalist based in the heart of Snowdonia National Park, he’s a vastly experienced gear tester and self-confessed outdoor kit geek. Matt’s been one of our main gear testers for the last couple of years and is the first person we call with any complicated kit queries that need in-depth and forensic analysis.